A packed courtroom broke out in cheers Thursday afternoon after Judge Tanisa Jeffers ordered that Boone, an 8-year-old Blue Lacy seen in a viral video being abused on an apartment balcony, be separated from his owner.
Jeffers also ordered Boone’s owner, John Kaschak, to pay $898 to the Austin Animal Center to cover treatment and boarding expenses. That cost could increase up to $1,350 depending on how long Boone remains at the shelter.
“I do find John Stewart Kaschak is the owner of Boone, and that Boone was cruelly treated,” Jeffers said before delivering her ruling.
Kaschak, 35, was arrested last week after the Austin Police Department found probable cause that he was involved in the viral video, which shows Boone being shoved with patio furniture and repeatedly hit with a belt and a towel. Kaschak was released from jail on Feb. 13 on a $7,500 surety bond, according to county documents.
The video sparked outrage on social media and spurred community organizing on Austin’s subreddit page. More than 3,000 people upvoted a post about Kaschak’s civil hearing, leading to a packed courtroom.
“This is my first time ever doing something like this, but it’s because I care so much for that dog’s safety,” said Austin resident Tanisha Hinojosa, who went to the hearing after seeing a post about Boone on Facebook. “I’m just so happy that Boone gets to go to a forever family home. Hopefully that’s the next steps, that he goes and gets nothing but love.”
Kaschak was absent from the hearing but was represented by attorney Mac Bozza. In his closing statement, Bozza did not deny any of the abuse allegations, but said that Kaschak requests to maintain ownership of Boone. Kaschak has 10 days to appeal Jeffers’ decision, which could delay Boone being eligible for adoption.
Julie Oliver, a member of the Austin Animal Welfare Coalition, said Jeffer’s order was a “positive step forward” for holding animal abusers accountable.
“Austin loves animals. We are a dog-loving city. And the dog lovers showed up this afternoon, during the workday,” she said. “I’m really grateful, in some ways, that this went viral. Because it did bring justice for this dog.”
In her testimony, Melissa Folger, who lives above Kaschak in a downtown apartment building, said she took her phone out to record Kaschak after she heard Boone barking and yelping and saw him “in clear distress.” Folger said she posted the videos anonymously on Reddit after two attempts to get police involved were unsuccessful.
Christian Esquivel, a detective in the APD’s animal cruelty unit, said at the hearing that he found patio furniture, two belts and a towel that he believed matched the items in the video during a search of Kaschak’s home. Esquivel also said he found blood and dog hair on a bed sheet that has been collected for evidence and is being tested.
Austin Animal Center communications specialist Elizabeth Ferrer said folks can help by fostering and adopting other dogs at the shelter to relieve the stress of overcrowding for the animals that can’t be adopted. Ferrer said the shelter has 21 animals in its care from animal cruelty cases.
